Select the National Unemployment Rate from the Subject menu. There are two sources you should be looking at: (1) The new release from June 2. (2)...

Select the National Unemployment Rate from the Subject menu.

There are two sources you should be looking at:

(1) The new release from June 2.

(2) Table: "Employment Status of the Population, 1940s to Date"

Answer the following questions:

1) What was the average annual unemployment rate in 2016? 

2) What was the labor force participation rate in 2016? 

3) What was the trend in the labor force participation rate since 2004? 

4) Offer one possible explanation for this trend. (additional research may be necessary) 

5) The unemployment rate rate elevated as a result of the recession from 2007 - 2009. Based on this observation, can you estimate two previous recessionary periods? 

6) How many jobs were created in May? 

7) What happened to the unemployment rate in May?

8) What happened to the labor force participation rate in May? 

9) What happened to the number of discouraged workers in May? What does this imply about people's feelings about the job market? Explain your answer.

(10) How, if at all, did the job market change in the month of May? How did it change over 2017 as a whole? Explain your answers. (Outside research may be necessary.)

Part II

Go to the St. Louis Federal Reserve's FRED graphing utility. (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/)

Create a graph of the civilian unemployment rate.

Adjust the dates to display from 1980 - present (May 2017).

Attach an image of your graph to your assignment submission.

Answer the following questions:

(11) Does unemployment seem to peak just before, during, or just after recessions? Can you offer a possible explanation for your answer?